Stove



C. EHRET May 21, 1935.

sTovE Filed Aug. 11, 1953 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 ATTORNEY.

C. EHRET May 2l, 1935.

STOVE Filed Aug. 1l, 1955 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 BY C ML ATTORNEY.

und@ m muuu c. EHRET STOVE Filed Aug. 11, 1955 M'ay 21, 1935.

NEEM

I5 Sheets-Sheet 3 INVENTOR. (7eme/yf f77/'ef ATTORNEY.

Piuma May 21, 1935 UNITED STATES PATENT oEFicE STOVE clement E111-et, white Plum, N. Y.

Application August 11, 1933, Serial No. 684,650

18 Claims. (Cl. 126-39) 'I'his invention relates to the art of stoves and more particularly stoves employed for cooking purposes and utilizing fuel of various kinds.

One of the objects of the present invention is to provide a stove which may be readily regulated at the will of the cook or housewife to a height which will best suit her particular requirements, and will enable pots and pans on the top of the stove to be easily and conveniently handled and at the same time allow convenient manipulation of cooking pans into and out of the oven.`

A further object of this invention is to provide a stove construction wherein the necessity of reaching over any burner on the stove is entirely eliminated through the utilization of a stove body which is rotatable to present any particular burner at the front of the stove at the will of the operator. 4

According to the present invention, the entire body of the stove is rotatable, the top of the stove and the burners being movable as one, and locked against rotation with respect to one another,l so that when a pot is once placedin proper cooperative relation to its burner, it will remain in this position and rotation will not alter `this relation. Furthermore, the source of heat is entirely localized with respect to the particular pot and this vrelation does not change uponl rotation of the stove.

Aside from the foregoing generic objects of this invention, the same includes a number of novel features, all oi which cooperate, as hereinafter more fully described, to produce a stove convenient to work at, economical and simple to operate, and eflicientin the iuliillment of its intended purposes.

These will be apparent from' the hereinafter detailed description and claims, whn read in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.

4 The accompanying drawings illustrate different practical embodiments of the invention, but

the constructions therein shown are to be understood as illustrative,` only, and not as defining the limits of the invention. t

Figure 1 is a perspective view of a stove embodying the present invention.

Figure 2 -is a central vertical section of the stove shown in Figure 1.

Figure 3 is a fragmentalv section on the 'line 3-3 of Figure 2.

Figure 4 shows the present invention as incorporated in a coal range.

Figure 5 is-a section on the line 5-5 of Figure 4.

Figure 6 shows a modiiied form.

As hereinbefore pointed out, the present inl vention may be used with stoves employing fuels of various kinds, and, for the purpose of illustration, I have chosen to show in Figures 1, 2, 3

and 6, the invention as embodied in a gas range.

Referring to these figures, l designates .the body of a stove. Heretofore, stove bodies have generally been provided with legs resting directly on the iioor to rigidly support the stove body in position. According to the present invention, in contradistinction, this stove body is mounted for rotation and vertical adjustment. The details of construction and shape o! the stove parts may vary without departing from this invention, but, for the purpose of illustration, I d have shown the stove body I as of circular formV embodying a housing 2 having a closed bottom 3 and closed top 4. Within this housing ispositioned an oven 5 which preferably extends for the full diameter of the housing and is shown as 20 open at its opposite ends 'although it may have door openings in its sides aswell. 'Each of these openings has a door 6 so that access may be had.- from various sides thereof. The oven is spaced from the wall of the housing in any appropriate 2 manner and is provided with a turntable bottom 'l mounted to rotate in any suitable way as on a center spindle or peripheral rollers, so that when a baking pan is resting on a turntable, it may be readily rotated by engaging the pan with a fork or spoon and turning it.

Heat is supplied beneath the oven forV baking from a burner 8 to which gas is led through a valve 9. This valve may be of any suitable kind, such as an ordinary plug cock, butthe valve stem -I0 thereof is preferably arranged so as itextends to the opposite sides of the stove and beyond the wall of the housing and each end of this valve stem is provided with a handle Il as shown in Figure 1 to permit of the operation 40 of the valve from each side of the stove.

Below the valve 9, the gas supply pipe is provided with a T12 from winch extends a branch pipe I3 leading to a header H positioned adjacent the upper part of the housing and extend- 45 ing entirely around the top of the stove. This is the main gas header for the various burners l5. Four of these burners are shown, but any number may be provided. They may be oi' the usual type and are fed from the header Il .through conventional cocks I6. Within the several branch pipes leading through the cocks to the burners I5, there may be included the usual gas and air 'mixing chamber, but for simplicity, 56

these have been omitted from the drawings because they are conventional and well known.

Gas fed from the T I2 is thus passed to the header I4 and may be fed to the burners selectively by manipulating the appropriate cocks I6. Below the T I2, there is provided a swivel connection I1, the axis of which is coaxial with the stove body. This swivel is such as to permit rotation of the stove body while at the ,same time an uninterrupted feed of gas. `Any suitable swivel may be used in this connection, but, for the purpose of illustration, -the connection is shown as embodying a channelled tapering plug I8 fitting into a correspondingly shaped chambered member I9 with appropriate gas channels so as to permit of rotation of the stove body and still feed the gas. The oven 5 also has a broiling burner 8' therein fed through a branch pipe I3. A valve 9 is included in this pipe and the valve stern I0' extends to opposite sides of the stove and has handles II by which the flow of fuel to the burner 8 is controlled.

As' hereinb'efore stated and hereinafter fully explained, this stove body is'not only adapted to be rotated, but also to be raised and lowered and the gas connection must therefore be such as to permit of both of these operations. Consequently, the connection between the T I2 and 'the main supply pipe 20 is provided with not only the swivel connection I1, but also additional swivel connections 2I, 22 and 23 to permit of its operation while using closed pipe connections. Swivel connection 2l is shown in detail in section in Figure 3 and theconnections 22 and 23 are of the same character, although all of these swivel connections may be of any other suitable construction providing that they will permit continuous feed of` gas and at the same time the adjustment and rotation to which I have referred. The use ofthe swivels 2|, 22 and 23 as shown is to permit the raising and lowering while maintaining a closed arrangement. Flexible tubing may be used as a connection but pipe and swivel connections are shown as preferable.

The supply of air to support combustion at the burners 8 andv8 may be obtained in any suitable way as by providing perforations in the bottom or in the side walls' of the housing 2 and oven 5 and to preclude` the radiation of too much heat through the walls of the housing they may be insulated with spaced interlinings or may be provided with appropriate insulation such as asbestos and the like, so that if Vthe cook comesv in contact with the wall of the housing when the oven'is in operation, she will not be burned. These and other forms of insulation for use in connection with ovens are so well known that it is not thought necessary to .specifically illustrate the same.

The waste products of combustion from the oven may be disposed of in any suitable way as, for example, through the bottom of the oven, as hereinafter described with reference to Figures tand 5, or through the side of the housing as in Figure 6, but in Figures 1 and 2 I have shown the top wall 4 of the housing as having an axial outlet pipe 24 which has a sliding t into a sleeve 25 of a warming oven housing 26. This warming oven housing is positioned above the body of the stove and will presently be explained in detail.

In order to mount the body of the stove which, in the construction shown, is all contained within and mounted on the housing 2, said housing is provided at its bottom with an annular ball race 21 adapted to cooperate with a similar ball race 28 and between these two races are positioned a series of ball bearings or roller bearings 29. The lower ball race 28 is mounted on any suitable form of base. 'Ihis base may widely vary in construction depending upon individual taste and design, but it embodies fundamentally means for supporting the lower ball race for vertical adjustment with means for accomplishing such adjustment. However, while an antifriction mounting is preferable for the stove body,

any other suitable mounting may be employed without departing from this invention.

In the form of the invention which I have chosen to show for illustrative purposes, the lower ball race is provided with a plurality of depending threaded posts 30 which extend downwardly and into the hollow legs 3| of a base 32. The base is shown in the form of a casting with four hollow legs and consequently four threaded posts 38 are employed. Each leg of the base is formed as shown in Figure 2 to supporta sprocket 33 against vertical movement, and each sprocket is provided with a threaded hub through which one of the posts 38 extends. Thus, there are four posts with four sprockets and it will be apparent that upon rotation of the sprockets the posts will be vertically moved to impart corresponding movement to the body of the stove and constitute an adjustable support therefor. In order to synchronize the operations of these sprockets, they are encircled byy a sprocket chain 34, which also passes about and in mesh with an operating sprocket 35. This operating sprocket ismounted on a stub shaft 36 to which is xed a bevel gear 31 meshing with a bevel gear 38 operable by any suitable prime mover operable by power or manually and located in any convenient position but shown as a crank or hand wheel 39. By operating this crank, the sprocketchain 34 is caused to function and all of the sprockets 33 are rotated to rectilinearly shift the threaded posts. Thus the Whole stove housing including the section 28 which is movable, is made vertically adjustable. This is accomplished through the manipulation of unitary means shown illustratively in the form of a crank or hand wheel 39. yBy mounting the stove body upon the ball rac 21, it is free to rotate with this race without appreciable friction and yet with suiiicient friction that it will not inadvertently turn.

If desired the operations of raising and lowering the stove body maybe counterbalanced in various ways. For example, compression springs 30 may be coiled about each of the posts 30, as indicated in Figure 2, to seat on the base 32 and bear upwardly against the race 28 and thus counterbalance the weight of the stove body. These springs may be enclosed in suitable collapsible casings if desired or may be positioned within the legs.

The base 32 is adapted to rest firmly upon the fioor in a stationary rigid position and is provided with appropriate means such as a bracket or brackets 40 which extends upwardly at the back of the stove and serve as a support for the warming oven housing hereinbefore referred to.

This housing may be of any appropriate shape and is preferably ared outwardly at its bottom as indicated at 4I to form a hood for collecting.

the waste products of combustion, vapors and odors and passing them upwardly and out of a pipe 42 leading to the chimney. To permit of this, the bottom of the housing 26 is provided `a warming oven 44 as shown in Figure 2. This oven has a door or doors 43 at its front and serves as a warming space for plates and to keep cooked articles warm until they are served. This oven may be thus heated conjointly by the waste heat from the burners at the top of the stove and by the waste heat from the oven and does not require its own individual source of fuel supply for heat. p

Oven 44 may have, if desired. heating and broiling burners 82 and 83, respectively, fed from a pipe 20' leading from fuel pipe 20 and including valves 202 and 203 with handles 204 and 2li5 to selectively control the flow of fuel to said burners. y

In the structure as described, the warming oven and its housing are stationary with respect to the stove pipe 42 and this stove pipe may therefore be directly connected with the chimney in the usual way. Similarly, the base is rigid and stationary and serves as a stationary and rigid support for the warming oven. It is only the intermediate stove body, i. e., ovens, associated burners and stove top which are rotatable, but all these parts rotate as a unit andtheir relative positions may be led off as shown in Figure 6.A ,Here the housing is shown as provided near its top with openings communicating with the interior of a manifold I 0| having flanges |02 interiltting with guides |03 on the housing. An outlet pipe |04 is provided at the back of the manifoldand extends upwardly into sliding connection with a sleeve which leads to the warming oven housing 26 and corresponds to sleeve 25 of Figure 1. This structure permits the stove body to be both vertically adjusted and rotated, but the outlet |04 and sleeve |05 hold the manifold against rotation.

For the sake of convenience, a water pipe 45 is secured to bracket 40 and is supported thereby and above the top of the stove body. This pipe has a pivoted spout 46. 'Ihe flow of water through the spout is controlled by a suitable valve and if desired the parts may be so arranged that when the spout is pulled down into horizontal position, the valve will be opened to permit water' to fiow through the spout, whereaswhen the spout is raised into the vertical position, the water will be shut off. The spoutl of course is stationary with respect to the. rotatable stove body, so that the stove body may be turned to position any pot thereon under the spout.

Convenient storage space may bel provided in the form of cabinets 41 provided with brackets 40 adapted to secured by pins or slotted connections to tira@l base '32 or to the section 28 to mount the cabinets thereon. These cabinets may 'have legs, extensible or not as' required to assist their support, but such legs are not generally necessary. Pots, pans and other cooking utensils or foodstuffs may be stored in these cabinets. which may be of any number.

I have hereinbefore described in detail the present invention as incorporated in a gas range. In an electric range, the problem is simpler, because the wires to supply the current can be led to the burners more readily than .piping connections. However, oil or other liquid fuel, such as kerosene, may be 'fed similarly to the feed of gas as shown. The present invention may, moreover, bei, used in conjunction with a coal range and in Figures 4 and 5, I have shown the invention incorporated in a stove of this kind.

With reference to thesey gures, the fire pot is designated 49 and the oven 50, and both of these are contained within a housing 2 which corresponds to all intents and purposes to the housing 2 of the gas range. The smoke pipe, however, instead of going out at the top is shown as extending out of the bottom and is designated 5|.A It is arranged axially of the stove and` has a sliding connection with a sleeve 52 rigidly supported on the base 3|, so that the stove body can turn on the ball races 21 and 28 and can be raised and lowered in the same manner as hereinbefore described. The details of the coal stove are not material to this invention except that if the smoke is led out at the bottom as shown a somewhat diiferent draft arrangement than that usually employed is desirable. The oven 50 is directly adjacent the fire box on one side, but. at its opposite side, bottom, back and top are spaced from the walls of the housing 2.

A plate 54 extends along the top of the oven and between the oven and the back wall of the housing, but leaves a down draft opening 53. This opening is controlled by a damper 54, the

stem 55 of which extends to the outside of the stove for manual operation. When the damper is in the position of Figure 4, the smoke and waste productsof combustion pass from the fire pot directly down through the draft hole 53 and out through the pipe 5| to the chimney. When it is desired to bake in the open, however, the damper 54 is operated to close the opening 53 and the heat from the fire pot is then required to circulate across the top of and about the oven and under the bottom thereof before reaching the smokey pipe 5| and thus heats the oven for baking or roasting.

'Ihe design of a coal range constructed in accordance with the present invention may vary within wide limits, and I have not considered it necessary to go into detail on this structureas the fundamental feature of the present invention as here applied is the same as in Figures 1 and 2 in that the body of the stove is rotatable with respect to a rigid base in order to place the various parts of the top o'f the stove within convenient access to the cook and at the same time, the body of the stove may Abe raised and lowered into the most convenient position.

It will of course be understood that ifv desired the smoke pipe may be led outof the coal stove at the top instead of the bottom or the waste tailed description that there are among the outstanding features of this invention hereinbefore described two which are of great practical importance. The first is that a stove may be regulated into any desired elevation depending rupon the requirements of the particular user, and another is that thewhole body of the stovejmay be rotated vso that at no time is the user required to reach over the top or across to the back of the stove for any purpose. `The header i4 provides'aconvenient handle for rotating the stove as it may be grasped and turned when desired.

It is of course to be understood that while I have shown the stove circular in Figures 1 and 2 of the accompanying drawings and square in Figures 4 and 5, that this shape may be varied according to the dictates of design without departing from this invention and that the various parts may be proportioned other than as shown. Similarly, while I have disclosed a sprocket and threaded post arrangement with cooperating ballraces as a means for raising and lowering the stove body and to provide for this rotation that other forms of apparatus may be employed for the accomplishment of this result, but, in any event, it is desirable that the raising and lowering of the stove body be accomplished by unitary means in the form of an appropriate prime mover either manually or power operated in order that the verticalJ adjustment may be emciently carried out.

I have in the drawings shown certain features of novelty which will be applicable to conventional stoves. For example, it will be apparent that the turntable in the oven and which may constitute the whole or a part of the oven bottom may be employed in any stove and claims to this feature per se areto be construed accordingly.'l

The foregoing detailed description sets forth the invention in its preferred practical form and the invention is to'be understood as fully commensurate with the appended claims.

Having thus fully described the invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. A stove embodying a stationary base, and a'stove body mounted for rotation on and supported by said base, said rotatable body comprising a source of heat supply, a stove top arranged above and rigid with respect to this source of heat supply, an oven within said stove body,

said oven being open at its opposite ends, a door for closing each end of the oven,'a source of heat supply for the oven, a valve for controlling the feed of fuel to said last named source of heat supply, and valve operating handles operatively connected to said valve and one of which handles is positioned exteriorly of thev stove body and adjacent each oven door.

2. A stove embodying a stationary base, a warming oven housing positioned in spaced relation above and iixedly supported by said base, a flue pipe leading from said warming oven housing, a stove body positioned between the base and the warming oven housing and mounted for rotation on said base, said vstove body comprising a baking oven, a source of heat therefor, and a conduit leading from the center of the stove body to the warming oven housing whereby the waste products of combustion from the baking oven will be circulated through the warming oven housing prior to exit through the iluel pipe.

3. A stove embodying a stationary base. a

warming oven housing positioned in spaced relation above and fixedly supported by said base, a flue pipe leading from said warming oven housing, a stove body positioned between the base and the warming oven housing and mounted for rotation onsaid base, said stove body comprising a baking oven, a source of heat therefor, and a conduit leading from the stove body to the warming 'oven housing, whereby the waste products of combustion from the baking oven will be circulated through the warming oven housing prior to exit through the flue pipe, said conduit including a slip connection to permit variation in the length thereof, and means for raising and lowering the stove body with respect to the stationary base and warming oven housing.

4. A stove embodying a stationary base, a stove body mounted on said base for vertical movement, and means for raising and lowering said stove body with respect to the stationary base, said stove body comprising a source of heat supply supported on the stove body to be raised and lowered therewith, and means A for supporting cooking receptacles in cooperative relation to the heat source.

5. A stove embodying a stationary base, a supporting member positioned on and supported by the stationary base, means for raising and lowering the supporting member with respect to the base, and a stove body, including a source of heat supported on the stove body to be raised and lowered therewith, said stove body being rotatably mounted on said supporting member.

6. A stove embodying a stationary base, a stove body mounted on said base for rotation with respect to the base, means for raising and lowering said stove body with respect to the base, a fuel burner supported by the stove body, a source of fuel supply, and piping connections between the source of fuel supply and the burner, said piping connections including at least one universaljoint to permit the undisturbed feed of fuel through closed piping connections irrespective of the,

movement of the stove body.

'7. A stove embodying a stationary base, a stove body rotatably supported on said base and cornprising an oven and a source of heat supply therefor, -a stationary oven housing positioned above the stove body and rigid with respect to the base, and an outlet duct for waste products of combustion from said source of heat supply, said outlet duct being positioned coaxially of the axis of rotation of the stove body and leading from the stove body to the stationary oven housing, and a ue pipe leading from said stationary oven housing.

43. A stove embodying a stationary base, and a stove body mounted for rotation on and supported by said base, said rotatable body comprising a source of heat supply, means for supporting cooking receptacles in cooperative relation to said source of heat supply. a stationary oven housing supported by the base independently of, the rotatable stove body and spaced above the latter to receive and utilize waste heat from the stove body.

9. A stove embodying a stationary base, a stove body mounted on said base for vertical movement with respect thereto and comprising an oven and an associated source of heat supply, an outlet conduit for waste products of combustion from the oven, said conduit having therein a slip connection to permit the stove body to be raised and lowered while the conduit remains operative, and

means for raising and lowering the stove body.

l 10. A stove embodying a stationary base, a supporting member positioned on and supported by movement relative thereto, means for raising and the stationary base, means for raising and lowering the supporting member with respect to the base, a stove body, including a source of heat, rotatablymounted on said supporting member, and an outlet conduit for waste products of combustion leading from the stove body, said conduit having'a yieldable connection with the stove body to permitrsaid body to raise and lower and rotate while the conduit remains operative.

1l. A stove embodying a stationary base, a stove body mounted for rotation on and for vertical movement with respect to said base and having a fuel burner, a fuel feed pipe leading to said burner and having therein extensible swivel connections to permit rotation and raising and lowering of the stove body without interfering with the continuous supply of fuel to the burner.

12. A stove embodying .a stationary base, a

stove body supported yon said base to be raised y and lowered with respect thereto, a lfuel burner supported onfsaid stove body to raise and lower therewith, and a fuel supply pipe leading to the burner and including an extensible connection to permit the stove body to be raised and lowered without interfering with the supply of fuel to said burner. A y Y 13. A stove embodying a stationary base,'an annular track mounted on the base for vertical movement relative thereto, means for raising and lowering said track, and a stove body mounted on and supported by said track for rotation thereon. g

14. A stove embodying a stationary base, an annular ball race mounted on the base for vertical movement relative thereto, means for raising and lowering said ball race, a stove body provided with acomplementary ball race, and ball bearings positioned between said ball races and serving to support the stove body for rotation.

15. A stove embodying a stationary base, an annular track mounted on the base for vertical lowering said track, `a stove body mounted on and :supported by the track for rotation thereon and duit remains operative.

16. A stove embodying a stationary base, an annular track mounted on the base for vertical movementrelative thereto, means for raising and lowering said track, a stove body mounted on and supported by said track' for rotation thereon, an oven housing mounted rigid with respect to the base and spaced above the stove body, and a conduit for'waste products of combustion extending axially from the rotatable stove body to the stationary oven housing and including a slip connection to permit the stove body to be rotated, raised and lowered while said conduit remains operative.

17. A stove comprising a stationary base, a stove body rotatably supported on said base and having an oven and a, source of heat supply therefor, atubular conduit leading from said source of heat supply and through which. fuel may be y fed tothe source of heat supply, said conduit including a rotatable union to permit of rotation' of the stove body without interfering with the continued feed of fuel.

. 18. A stove comprising a stationary base, a stove body rotatably supported on said base and lhaving an oven and a source of heat supply there- CLEMENT EHRET. 

